Bellingham Police are still searching for Shilo Aron Englert, 33, accused of the Feb. 8 killing of Kasaundra “Kassy” Booker, 31. He is considered armed and dangerous.
Booker was found dead from a gunshot wound to her head in a stairwell at the 22 North building at 1022 N. State St. A residence for young adults experiencing homelessness, 22 North is operated by the Opportunity Council and Northwest Youth Services.
Probable cause for a warrant for Englert’s arrest was determined after officers reviewed video surveillance from the 22 North building cameras, seeing, and later identifying, Englert as the last person with Booker before she was discovered in the stairwell.
According to probable cause documents, detectives observed video surveillance from 22 North and discovered the approximate timeline of events leading up to the discovery of Booker:
- Englert arrived at 22 North at approximately 8:25 p.m. on Feb. 8. He parked his car in front of the building and was accompanied by an unknown female.
- Englert met Booker in the front of the building to talk. At 8:28 p.m. the unknown woman got out of the car and “physically assaulted Booker, putting her in a headlock and punching her various times.” The woman got back in her car after the assault.
- At 8:34 p.m., Englert, Booker and a woman named Misty Solomon entered the first-floor stairway and smoked Fentanyl. Solomon left the stairwell at 8:42 p.m. and was observed on camera going into the lobby of the building. She told detectives she left because Englert was consoling Booker and she believed the two were going to get intimate.
- Booker left the stairwell at 8:53 p.m. and walked toward the front door of the building. She was seen raising her hands up and down. Investigators report it appeared she was looking in the general direction of Englert’s car. She then went back into the stairwell.
- No one else was seen entering the stairwell.
- At 9:18 p.m. Englert was seen on camera walking up from the first-floor stairwell to the second-floor landing and exiting the building into an alley behind 22 North. Investigators noted Englert appeared to keep his hands in his pockets and intentionally used his sleeve to cover his hand and manipulate the door’s push bar in an attempt to prevent himself from leaving fingerprints or DNA at the scene.
- Englert was seen walking the length of the alley south toward E. Laurel Street. He walked around the block to get back to his car. He left the scene in his car — a beige Lexus sedan.
- At 9:28 p.m. Benny Rodriguez, a building resident, is seen on camera walking into the first-floor stairwell. He immediately called 911 after discovering Booker’s body.
- At approximately 3 a.m. the Lexus driven by Englert was discovered in the 1400 block of Moore Street. The car matched the car seen on video surveillance and was found about 200 feet from the known residence of Englert.
Detectives noted one bullet of an unknown caliber was found at the scene and no handgun or spent cartridge was found.
Englert was identified after still images from the video surveillance were sent around to Bellingham Police officers and Whatcom County Sheriff’s deputies.
Englert is no stranger to officers, racking up an extensive criminal history based on court records obtained by Cascadia Daily News. His past arrests include multiple drug charges and several traffic infractions for driving with a suspended license.
Most recently, Englert was arrested Jan. 18 for possession of a stolen vehicle, obstructing, hit and run, and driving with a suspended license.
Englert was seen fleeing the scene at the 1400 block of Johnson Street at 2:14 a.m. after an officer observed a car driving over a retaining wall. The car was discovered to be stolen.
Englert posted his $450 bail Jan. 24 and was released from jail.
Tips on Englert’s location can be sent to cob.org/tips.
